April 2007

Study: Atlas adjustment decreases blood pressure

A Chicago-area study of 50 individuals with misaligned Atlas vertebrae documents reduced blood pressure following one specialized chiropractic adjustment, as well as continued results after eight weeks.

The results are published in the March 2, 2007 online issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension . None of the patients took blood pressure medicine during the eight-week study.

According to lead author George Bakris, M.D., director of the hypertension center at the University of Chicago Medical Center, unlike other vertebrae, which interlock one to the next, the Atlas (also known as C-1) relies solely upon soft tissue (muscles and ligaments) to maintain alignment.  It is uniquely vulnerable to displacement, which can occur without pain and often goes undetected and untreated.

Each person enrolled in the study displayed high blood pressure and a misaligned C-1.

 X-rays were used to document the effectiveness of the procedure to realign the Atlas vertebra with the spine. Participants were fully assessed again after the adjustment, as well as at the end of eight weeks.

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